Tim Hardaway's three-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining lifted
the Miami Heat to a 96-93 victory over the winless Denver
Nuggets, who made a valiant comeback before establishing the
worst start in team history.

After rookie Bobby Jackson's three-pointer with 10.9 seconds
left completed a 14-point comeback by Denver, Miami called time
and got the ball at halfcourt. The Heat isolated Hardaway on
Jackson about 35 feet away, and Hardaway drove hard, pulled up
at the top of the key and sank the shot.

"I guess they were scared of (Voshon) Lenard and (Jamal)
Mashburn, so they took their chances putting a rookie on me,"
said Hardaway. "I had to show him who the man was."

"He's been doing it for years," Jackson said. "He knows the
game, hopefully I'll be like that in a few years."

Denver trailed 92-84 with 2:58 left until Jackson and LaPhonso
Ellis carried the Nuggets on a tying 9-1 run. Jackson scored
five points and Ellis netted four of his 20 in the burst.

"That was like a heavyweight battle," Denver coach Bill Hanzlik
said. "We each took turns knocking each other down. To tie it
after being down 14 is fantastic."

Ellis had time for a three-pointer from the top of the key
before the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim.

"Somtimes, when it leaves your hand, you know it's no good,"
said Ellis. "Sometimes it's 50-50, and sometimes you know it's
good. Mine was the latter, and that's why I'm so disappointed."

Heat coach Pat Riley passed another milestone, taking sole
possession of fifth place on the all-time list with 865 coaching
victories. The win moved him past Jack Ramsey.

"It's an honor," Riley said. "If I got by Jack Ramsey, it means
I've been around awhile. I love coaching, it's a great life."

Hardaway scored 15 of his 26 points in the second half to pace
Miami to its fifth straight victory over Denver. It was the
second game-winner this season for Hardaway, who made a floater
at the buzzer to beat Washington on November 1st.

"We tried to trap Hardaway," said Hanzlik. "But he's got such
confidence in his shot. I told Bobby, 'you're not the first guy
that happened to.'"

The Nuggets (0-8) started the 1979 and 1990 seasons with seven
consecutive defeats. Denver and Golden State (0-8) are the
league's only winless teams. The Warriors lost to Portland in a
late game.

Jackson finished with 19 points, Dean Garrett had 14 and 12
rebounds and Bryant Stith added 14 points. Ellis led the bench,
which also got an 11-point effort from 7-4 Priest Lauderdale,
the catalyst of two fourth-quarter runs.

Miami held an 86-72 lead before the Nuggets mounted a 10-0 run
midway through the period. Lauderdale hit three shots from the
line before Jackson's bucket with 5:40 cut it to 88-77. He
followed with a pair of free throws before journeyman Joe Wolf
nailed a three-pointer to pull Denver within six.

P.J. Brown hit two foul shots and Hardaway hit from behind the
arc to give the Heat a 91-82 cushion, but Lauderdale made a
basket to once again ignite a rally.

Hardaway converted 10-of-16 shots, grabbed eight rebounds and
had eight assists. He also had a chance to put away the game
before his big shot, poking the ball away from Ellis. But he
was beaten to the loose ball by Jackson, who wound up with an
open shot.